Melissa Gross, 2013, B.M. Music Since I have graduated from CSU I subbed in Jefferson County for a semester and then made the biggest move of my life to Cedaredge, Colo. I packed all my things and moved almost 300 miles across the state. I found myself in a rural farming community at the base of the Grand Mesa with hard-working and devoted students and families. After three years, I'm still out there! I teach 6-12 Band and Choir. In the fall, my students and I throw ourselves head first into Marching Band. This “go-get-'em” attitude got the attention of our congressman last year who nominated us to go to Washington D.C. to march in the Memorial Day Parade, and to perform at the Air Force Memorial with both the Band and Choir. We packed up all of our things, flew ourselves across the country and proceeded to have a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Most of my students had never been on a plane or even left Delta County. It was a thrill for me to give them an experience like none they had ever had before. I could not have been more proud of my students than I was during that trip! During the summers, I am a part-time lumberjack and babysitter. I have learned how to use multiple chainsaws, log splitters, the value of hard physical labor, and how to reason with a toddler. Never would I have expected to learn and experience so much in Cedaredge, Colorado!
Marjorie Moss, 2014, M.S. in Student Affairs in Higher Education Since graduating from CSU's master's program in Student Affairs in Higher Education (SAHE) in 2014, I've worked in the College of Business and the College of Liberal Arts at CSU. The SAHE program provided me with a strong foundation in college student development, ethics, diversity and inclusion, and higher education administration. It gave me with the opportunity to work in a graduate assistantship in the Office of Adult Learner and Veteran Services and complete two practicums with INTO CSU and CASA. These collective experiences prepared me well for my current work as an Academic Success Coordinator (ASC) in the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance. Although I didn’t major in music as an undergraduate student, it has always been an important part of my life. As an undergraduate student at the University of Arizona, I participated in the University Wind Ensemble (oboe), University Honor Choir, and Symphonic Choir. Prior to attending CSU, I sang in the graduate level Chamber Choir at University of North Texas while I was working on my master’s degree in English. Working with students in the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance allows me to combine my love of the performing arts with my passion for college student development. I believe the Liberal Arts disciplines provide students with a strong intellectual foundation for developing their identities, strengths, interests, and career goals. Building relationships with students and colleagues is what I enjoy most about working in higher education. I love attending our student productions at the UCA and seeing our wonderful, talented students in action! I am inspired by our faculty who are strongly committed to mentoring students, while also demonstrating the highest standards of teaching, scholarship, and performance. Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my husband, Woody, and our two wonderful children, Madison (13), and Nathan (10).